In last week’s Gospel Peter identified Jesus as the Messiah the Son of the living God. But what Peter desired is for Jesus to be all powerful ruler and king, to destroy their enemies and give them peace and prosperity forever. However, in this week’s gospel Peter learns that Jesus must suffer and die, this startling revelation must have disturbed and disappointed Peter greatly! This is not the kind of Messiah Peter had envisioned or wanted! But Peter still did not understand the purpose of Jesus’ suffering and death. He did not know that our salvation would be won through suffering and death of Jesus. Aren’t we all a bit like Peter? To acknowledge that hunger, pain and suffering are part of our human life is difficult! We all want a perfect world free from hunger, violence, pain, and suffering. But the key message from this gospel is that we all suffer and we must each carry or own crosses.
If you were given the responsibility of choosing our next pope, what qualities of leadership would you be looking for? What kind of leadership does the Church need to carry on the message and mission of Jesus? I ask you this question to invite you to consider how Jesus chose our first pope. What kind of leadership was Jesus looking in the apostle Peter? In today’s Gospel, Jesus was giving his apostles a gut check. He asked his disciples: “Who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter said in reply, “You are the Christ, the son of the living God.” Jesus said to him: “Blessed are you, Simon, son of Jonah…And so, I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church.” In Peter’s answer, he was saying that his relationship with Jesus was the commitment that defined his life.
In today’s Gospel passage, this is not a nice conversation; not one you want to hear your children overhear. You wonder how it ever got recorded in our family Bible. It is less a conversation and more an argument. In no other miracle account has a petitioner been treated so harshly. In the Gospel, the Canaanite woman cried out: “Have pity on me, Lord, Son of David. My daughter is tormented by a demon.” But Jesus did not say a word in answer to her. Jesus’ disciples said: “Send her away.” Jesus then said to the disciples: “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” (Members Only Club) The persistent woman came and did Jesus homage, saying, “Lord, help me.” He said: “It is not right to take food of the children and throw it to the dogs.” (A rather harsh reply) She responded with courageous faith: “Please Lord, for even the dogs eat the scraps that fall from the table of their masters.” Jesus finally affirms the woman: “Woman, great is your faith. Let it be done for you as you wish. Your daughter is healed.” Reflecting on the disciples’ encounter with the Canaanite woman, are their people who we attempt to exclude from God’s presence today?
In today’s Gospel passage, this is not a nice conversation; not one you want to hear your children overhear. You wonder how it ever got recorded in our family Bible. It is less a conversation and more an argument. In no other miracle account has a petitioner been treated so harshly. In the Gospel, the Canaanite woman cried out: “Have pity on me, Lord, Son of David. My daughter is tormented by a demon.” But Jesus did not say a word in answer to her. Jesus’ disciples said: “Send her away.” Jesus then said to the disciples: “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” (Members Only Club) The persistent woman came and did Jesus homage, saying, “Lord, help me.” He said: “It is not right to take food of the children and throw it to the dogs.” (A rather harsh reply) She responded with courageous faith: “Please Lord, for even the dogs eat the scraps that fall from the table of their masters.” Jesus finally affirms the woman: “Woman, great is your faith. Let it be done for you as you wish. Your daughter is healed.” Reflecting on the disciples’ encounter with the Canaanite woman, are their people who we attempt to exclude from God’s presence today?
This week, Sunday's Gospel might remind us of the very difficult dialogue and rhetoric going on in our country following the disturbing, violent, deadly events that took place in Charlottesville, VA in response to the proposed removal of a symbol of Confederate ideology, a statue of Robert E. Lee. It seems inconceivable that in 2017 our country could even be debating the moral equivalency of white supremacy and those who stand in opposition to white supremacy. And yet we are.
"Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid." In the Gospel reading this week we encounter the disciples who were sent by Jesus, on the Sea of Galilee when a storm occurs. Jesus after feeding the 5,000 had gone away to pray and sent the disciples ahead of him. While the disciples were in the boat a storm occurs in the middle of the night and they start to panic. Jesus knowing of their distress walks on the water to reach them. When the disciples see Him, they think he is a ghost. To reassure them Jesus says to them "Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid." I think we can all imagine their fear at seeing Jesus walking on the water amidst a storm in the middle of the night! Peter on seeing the Lord gets out of the boat and starts walking towards the Lord. All is well until Peter lets his fears and doubts take hold of him and he cries out and begins to sink. Jesus saves Peter and together they enter the boat and the storm is calmed. With faith Jesus can calm our storms of our lives.